This study aimed to investigate the effect of virtual training based on a self-compassion program on the mental toughness of young male elite freestyle wrestlers. Self-compassion is recognized as a powerful psychological resource for regulating and controlling athletes’ emotional responses; however, its virtual application within the context of elite wrestling has received limited attention.  A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was employed. Twenty-eight young elite male freestyle wrestlers were recruited using convenience sampling. Following the pretest assessment, participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group through a simple randomization procedure. Group equivalence was examined in terms of age and pretest mental toughness scores before the intervention. The experimental group participated in a six-week virtual self-compassion intervention delivered through three sessions per week. The program included video, audio, and written exercises based on the Mindful Self-Compassion framework. The control group received no intervention. Mental toughness was assessed before and after the intervention using the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS version 24, with the significance level set at 0.05. After controlling for pretest scores, a significant difference was identified between the experimental and control groups in posttest mental toughness scores (F = 13.812, p = 0.001). The effect size associated with group membership was 41.3%, indicating a substantial effect of the intervention. The adjusted mean posttest score of the experimental group (46.72) was significantly higher than that of the control group (41.61). The observed statistical power indicated that the analysis had sufficient sensitivity to detect the intervention effect. Nevertheless, the relatively small sample size should be considered when interpreting and generalizing the findings. Virtual delivery of a self-compassion program appears to be effective in enhancing mental toughness among young male elite freestyle wrestlers. Considering its accessibility, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and capacity to allow participants to review training materials repeatedly, coaches and sport officials are encouraged to integrate virtual compassion-based programs into regular training practices to strengthen psychological resilience and support athletic performance in elite adolescent wrestlers.